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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Does it matter if I backcomb the cat?

11 replies

thehousewiththesagegreensofa · 01/12/2024 18:20

A few weeks ago, I accidentally backcombed the cat( she moved when I wasn't expecting it). She purred even more loudly than she usually does when being brushed and stayed in the exact same position and then turned her head and looked at me until I did it again. She now likes to be backcombed each evening along her back and all around her head. I basically have to keep brushing her until I've backcombed her.
Does this matter? I remember watching a documentary about birds who had been rescued from an oil slick and how you had to do their feathers in a particular way as otherwise it wrecked their waterproofing. I worried that there might be something similar with cats (well, not actual waterproofing but that it might damage her somehow).
For background, when we got her from
a rescue 5 years ago she had had to have a GA so they could shave matted fur off her. She groooms herself but there are some bits of her back she just can't get to. She loves being brushed and sits by her brush each evening until we get the hint and meows if she considers we're being too slow to get the hint,

OP posts:
Aroastdinnerisnotahumanright · 01/12/2024 18:36

I was told you're supposed to lightly comb in the opposite direction, then comb well in the direction it fur grows.

The only thing with cats is that their skin is very thin and delicate so you should be very careful if you cut the fur.

Breadcat24 · 01/12/2024 20:32

doo you do it into a beehive or a quiff?

Overtheatlantic · 02/12/2024 09:05

Surely most mogs prefer a beehive?

Mabelface · 02/12/2024 09:08

It's fine! She's telling you it is, and she loves it.

justsaying2023 · 04/12/2024 12:49

I can't be the only one that expected something like cat with mohawk before reading the full comment!!

Jostuki · 04/12/2024 12:51

Do you mean brushing the fur the wrong way which is fine or actually back combing it which is going to create knots?

justsaying2023 · 04/12/2024 12:53

a bit like this?

Does it matter if I backcomb the cat?
unsync · 04/12/2024 13:00

Mine used to like it, it got a lot of dander out. As long as you brush or stroke it back the right way, I can't see that it would do any harm.

thehousewiththesagegreensofa · 05/12/2024 20:55

Thanks for all of the reassurance. Yes, just brushing the wrong way. We're not styling it I'm afraid!

OP posts:
AllProperTeaIsTheft · 05/12/2024 21:11

Back-combing doesn't just mean combing backwards! YANBU at all to comb your cat backwards if she likes it. YWBU to actually back-comb your cat!

niadainud · 05/12/2024 21:16

Has your cat arrived from the 80s?

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